Activists welcome 'green bylaw'
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Most clean air campaigns in Jakarta and other cities across the country focus on how to reduce vehicular emissions that are a major contributor to the hazardous pollutants that foul the air in urban areas.
Several non-governmental organizations, therefore, called on the City Council, which is currently deliberating a draft bylaw on air pollution control, to strengthen the draft with articles that are more applicable to reducing vehicular emissions.
Paul Butarbutar, a Swisscontact senior officer for the Clean Air Project, said on Monday a big city like Jakarta needed a strong legal basis to require all motorists to abide by regulations on emission standards.
"We welcome the deliberation of the draft bylaw on air pollution control. But we hope that it will become a strong arm for the administration to force motorists to abide by emission standards," he said.
Vehicular emissions are a serious problem in the city because there are no proper mechanisms for curbing the emissions.
Private vehicles, which account for nearly 90 percent of the about 4.7 million vehicles in the city, are not required to undergo emission tests.
Cargo vehicles and public transportation vehicles are required to undergo emission tests, but many owners of public transportation vehicles say they can obtain emission certificates without taking the test if they bribe the right officials.
Given this, environmental experts say it is not surprising that about 70 percent of the hazardous substances in Jakarta's air comes from vehicular emissions.
Previously, the head of the City Environment Management Body (BPLHD), Kosasih Wirahadikusumah, said if the draft was passed it would be the only legal basis for the city to force private car owners to abide by emission standards.
He said the Jakarta governor issued Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041/2000 on standards for vehicular emissions, but this decree did not have the teeth to force motorists to abide by the standards.
Ahmad Syafrudin of the Committee for Phasing out Leaded Gasoline (KPBB) said the draft bylaw submitted to the City Council did not spell out clear mechanisms on how motorists should abide by the standards.
"The draft requires motorists to abide by the emission standards but it does not say how," he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
He said councillors should add articles to the draft bylaw requiring motorists to take their vehicles into certified repair shops for emission tests.
Ahmad said such repair shops would issue emission certificates that motorists would have to produce to re-register their vehicles.
"If there was such a requirement, after its approval the bylaw could be immediately applied by the administration to force motorists to abide by emission standards as stipulated in Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041/2000," he said.
Health problems caused by air pollution include cancer, tuberculosis, retarded intellectual development among children, low fertility, headaches and respiratory problems.
Emission standards based on Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041/2000
1. Carburetor system
Year of Production CO % HA (ppm) --------------------------------------------------------------
< 1985 4.0 1,000
1986 - 1995 3.5 800
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2. Injection system
Year of Production CO % HC (ppm) --------------------------------------------------------------
1986 - 1995 3.0 600
--------------------------------------------------------------
3. Vehicles with diesel fuel
Year of Production Opacity -----------------------------------------
< 1985 50 %
1986 - 1995 45 %
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Notes: CO: Carbon monoxide HC: Hydrocarbon ppm: parts per million